


Purple

by tablelamp



Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: Family, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Gen, Grandparents & Grandchildren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-06-27 21:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19797784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablelamp/pseuds/tablelamp
Summary: Claudia came home from first grade one day with a scowl on her face and a tightly wadded-up paper clenched in her fist.





	1. Then

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaraJaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/gifts).



Claudia came home from first grade one day with a scowl on her face and a tightly wadded-up paper clenched in her fist. She couldn't decide whether to yell or cry, so instead she stomped her feet all the way into the house.

Mimi came to see what the noise was. "What's wrong, my Claudia?"

"Mrs. Bloom didn't like my drawing," Claudia said, feeling the sadness of it all over again. "She said it was wrong."

Mimi frowned. "How can a drawing be wrong?"

Claudia sniffled, handing Mimi the crumpled paper. Mimi opened the ball of paper carefully, smoothing it flat to reveal a crayon drawing of a purple cow.

"She said draw a cow," Claudia said, her breaths coming out in great leaky gasps, "and my favorite color is purple. But she said cows aren't purple and I didn't do it right."

Mimi looked at the drawing. "This is a very good cow."

Claudia was relieved that at least Mimi thought so. "Even if cows aren't supposed to be purple?"

Mimi nodded, touching Claudia's shoulder in sympathy. "Let me make you some of my special tea. Then I want to read you a poem."

Claudia looked at Mimi, confused. "A poem?"

"Yes," Mimi said, walking into the kitchen with Claudia's drawing still in her hand. Claudia followed, but now she was dragging her feet across the floor instead of stomping. It was almost as satisfying as far as making noise in the house went. While Mimi made the tea, Claudia sat at the table, staring at the upside-down picture of the purple cow and the book Mimi had left at her seat.

When the tea was ready, and Mimi and Claudia were sitting at the table with their steaming cups, Mimi opened the book, leafing through the pages until she found the poem she wanted. "Here it is. This poem is called 'The Purple Cow,' by a writer named Gelett Burgess."

Claudia's mouth fell open in surprise. There was a poem about her drawing?

Mimi began to read, her voice calm and even. " 'I've never seen a purple cow,/I never hope to see one;/But I can tell you, anyhow,/I'd rather see than be one.'"

"But it's a poem about how there aren't any purple cows," Claudia said, pouting a little. That wasn't any fun either.

"That's not why I read it to you," Mimi said. "Art doesn't have to be about what is real. It can also be about what you imagine. Both you and this poet imagined purple cows, so you created art about them. That's what art is for."

Mimi always understood Claudia's art better than anyone else. Claudia got up from the table, hurrying to Mimi and throwing her arms around her grandmother in a giant hug. "I love you, Mimi."

Mimi stroked Claudia's hair gently. "And I love you, my Claudia."


	2. Now

Claudia met Janine on the sidewalk in front of the gallery.

"Hi," Janine said. "Mom and Dad asked me to tell you they're running late, but they'll be here."

"Thanks," Claudia said. "I'm glad you could make it."

"It's your first gallery show," Janine said, sounding slightly defensive. "Of course I could make it."

Claudia wondered if she and Janine would ever have an easy sisterly relationship, but she smiled and opened the door to the gallery. "Come in."

She still wasn't used to coming into an art gallery and seeing her paintings hanging on every wall. Her apartment, sure, but not an official New York art gallery. Claudia still got a little giddy thinking about it.

Janine picked up a program. "'Claudia Kishi: Life in Color.'"

"It's the only thing I could think of that all my paintings have in common," Claudia said.

Janine smiled. "You've always been very colorful." She gestured to Claudia's ensemble--a green blouse with red and yellow triangles on it and a bright blue skirt held up by black suspenders.

Claudia laughed. "You're right. The little black dress isn't my style. Unless you wear an orange sweater over it, and maybe some tights with clocks on them."

"Those tights," Janine groaned. "I was glad when you wore them out."

"I still have a pair," Claudia said. "Found them on eBay."

Janine suddenly sniffed the air. "Is that tea? It smells like--" Her eyes filled with tears. "It's Mimi's special tea."

"I wanted her to be here too," Claudia said quietly. "The tea's over with the other drinks and snacks. You can have some if you want."

"Maybe later," Janine said.

They walked around the gallery, talking about the different pieces and about their lives. Claudia had just been offered the opportunity to paint a mural on the side of a New York library building but hadn't officially accepted yet.

"Of course you'll accept it," Janine said, ever practical.

"I will," Claudia agreed, "but it's a little overwhelming to think about. What if it doesn't turn out right?"

"You'll work on it until it does," Janine said.

"What if they don't like it and take a sledgehammer to it Diego Rivera style?" If there was anything worse than not being able to paint what you wanted, it was being able to paint what you wanted and then having that painting utterly destroyed.

"They can't do that without knocking down the building," Janine said. "You'll talk to them, get an idea of what they want, and go from there. It could be your Sistine Chapel."

"Yeah, no pressure there," Claudia said.

Janine stopped in front of a sunset scene composed of small circles of color. "It's almost pointillist. Was this inspired by Seurat?"

"No, it was inspired by a bowl of Froot Loops," Claudia said.

Janine stared at her.

"And a little pointillism," Claudia said. "I like Luce better than Seurat though."

Janine stopped short in front of one of the larger paintings. "What on earth is this?"

It was a painting of a grassy field with a farmhouse far in the background. The field was full of black and white cows, except right in the middle, where a purple cow stood, seemingly staring out of the painting at the viewer.

"That one's for Mimi too," Claudia said cheerfully. "Like it?"

Janine adjusted her glasses, giving the painting a good hard look. "I'm not certain."

Claudia laughed. "That's fair." She slipped her arm through Janine's. "Come on. Let's get some special tea and make a toast to Mimi."

Janine smiled. "Show me to the tea."

Wherever Mimi was now, Claudia was sure she was smiling.


End file.
